Meet the Other Phone. Protection built in.

Meet the Other Phone.
Protection built in.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Women's health

Mumsnet hasn't checked the qualifications of anyone posting here. If you have medical concerns, please seek medical attention.

WWYD - Nipple Discharge & Surgery

3 replies

theartofhappiness · 25/02/2025 22:06

Would be grateful for some perspective or insight if anyone has had this issue or just your opinion on what you would do in this situation. I don't have many people to discuss it with IRL.

I breastfed my kid for 3+ years until around 18 months ago.
5 months ago I started to get very dark green almost black nipple discharge from both breasts but mainly the right breast, only on squeezing. 2 months ago I attended the GP over this as I was getting a bit worried it wasn't clearing up and the right breast felt a little itchy.

Referred on 2 week pathway.
Seen at breast clinic. I've had 3 physical breast exams by the consultant, an ultrasound, an MRI scan and blood test. All have come back clear. Consultant told me there is no point in swabbing and testing the fluid because the test is unreliable.
I've been refused a mammogram because I'm under 40 years of age.

Consultant keeps saying the discharge is blood stained but there seems to be no evidence of this. On a tissue it comes up grey/green. The discharge from the left breast has cleared up but persists from the right.

The consultant said it is probably duct ectasia or another benign condition. Extremely small chance it is something sinister. Consultant has discussed at an MDT and surgery has been offered.

The surgery is a full duct removal. I would not be able to breastfeed in the future from the breast that has had the ducts removed.

My problem is that I'm not sure my family is complete and breast feeding is a huge deal to me. There seems to be little evidence of it being blood stained just the consultants opinion.

If I was sure I wasnt having more kids I'd go straight ahead with the surgery. The likelihood is I'll have the surgery and be told it is nothing.

Anyone had any experience of this? Or any medical professional able to give a view? Are there any other diagnostic tests I can go for? Has anyone breastfed on just one side and how was it?

Really struggling to make a decision 🫤

OP posts:
Springadorable · 25/02/2025 22:21

They normally will do a quick reaction test to look for blood, it's not just a case of eyeballing it.

If you would have the surgery if your family was complete, then I would have the surgery now. It's an outside chance it's sinister, but it could be, and your actual kids having a mother is more important than breastfeeding a hypothetical child.

theartofhappiness · 25/02/2025 22:25

@Springadorable
Thanks for replying. They did do a sort of test with what I can only call a type of dipstick(?) but they said the discharge is the same colour that it would go if it had blood in it so they couldn't say if it had blood in or not.

I know you're right about my what ifs.

OP posts:
theartofhappiness · 26/02/2025 11:35

Bump

OP posts:
New posts on this thread. Refresh page
Swipe left for the next trending thread